Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Trumpeter, Educator Jim Rotondi Dies at 61
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Musicians, fans and friends are organizing special concerts and a fund drive to help pay for the relocation and buildout of new storefront space for Fred Anderson’s Velvet Lounge in Chicago’s South Loop. Its current location is scheduled for demolition to make way for a private, high-rise tower. The new space is planned around the corner and within sight of the old location, and will include many artifacts from the old club. The new location will include better sightlines in a column-free stage and seating area, new restrooms, and a storage room for musicians’ gear. Private supporters have set the goal of raising more than $100,000 in private contributions.
Performers for an upcoming fundraising concert include: Edward Wilkerson; David Boykin Expanse; The Gam Squad; Tatsu Aoki; Douglas Ewart; Dennis Winslett; Jabari Liu; Malachi Thompson; Corey Wilkes; Dan Godston; Nicole Mitchell’s Black Earth Ensemble; Dushun Mosley; Isaiah Spencer; Michael Zerang; Isaiah Jackson; Rob Pleshar; and additional guests. Tickets are $20 for the show, which is May 27 at the Velvet Lounge.
Contributions may be made to the relocation and buildout project through the Velvet Lounge web site, www.velvetlounge.net.
Jim Rotondi was acclaimed for his wide, round trumpet tone, remarkable virtuosity and assured swing.
Jul 9, 2024 11:35 AM
Jim Rotondi, a renowned hard-bop trumpeter, composer and educator, died suddenly on July 7 at a hospital in France. He…
Charles Lloyd, seen here at the 2024 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, makes DownBeat Poll history!
Jul 11, 2024 12:23 PM
The incomparable Charles Lloyd swept the 72nd Annual DownBeat Critics Poll, becoming the first artist ever to earn…
“Being president of Blue Note has been one of the coolest things that ever happened to me,” Was said. “It’s a gas to serve as one of the caretakers of that legacy.”
Jun 4, 2024 12:21 PM
Sitting with Don Was is a comfortable and unhurried exercise. He may seem slightly reserved at first, but ideas and…
The Century Room in downtown Tucson, Arizona, was born in 2021.
May 21, 2024 12:58 PM
Players got to play. It’s long been a part of jazz history: When there’s a venue vacuum, when there are fewer…
“She reminds me of my childhood and makes we want to cry,” Cécile McLorin Salvant, pictured here with writer Ashley Kahn, said of Dianne Reeves.
Jun 11, 2024 12:31 PM
Italy’s Umbria Jazz Winter is one of those rare annual festivals that not only coincides with a major holiday —…
